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NHIAA Power Poll: Looking out for No. 1

Staff report

Concord High’s 21-14 overtime escape at Pinkerton Academy in Derry Friday night set up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up this Friday between the top-ranked Crimson Tide and second-ranked Bedford. The question is, will Concord still be No. 1 when the Union Leader/WGIR/WMUR Power Poll is announced this morning, or will the Bulldogs switch places with the Tide?

Bedford had a much more comfortable margin of victory than Concord in its Week 5 game, albeit against a less formidable opponent than fourth-ranked Pinkerton. The Bulldogs trounced Manchester Memorial, 45-14.

Concord, a unanimous selection for No. 1 last week, and Bedford both improved to 6-0, while Pinkerton dropped to 4-2 and Memorial fell to 1-5.

This week’s poll will be announced this morning during Kelly Brown’s 7:30 sports report during “The Morning Buzz” radio show on WGIR-FM, and posted on UnionLeader.com shortly thereafter.

While Nashua South likely retained its No. 3 rank with a 42-22 victory over Dover, Pinkerton’s defeat, coupled with No. 5 Bishop Guertin of Nashua’s 38-26 conquest of No. 9 Spaulding of Rochester, may have positioned BG to move up to No. 4.

Spaulding’s position in the poll, meanwhile, is likely in jeopardy, especially with the top team outside the top 10 but among those also receiving votes last week, Portsmouth, coming off a 49-28 trouncing of previously unbeaten St. Thomas Aquinas of Dover in a key Division II contest.

Among other teams in last week’s top 10, No. 6 Plymouth, No. 7 Exeter, No. 8 Keene and No. 10 Trinity all won.

For more on the Power Poll, see Roger Brown’s “First & 10” column in Tuesday’s editions of the New Hampshire Union Leader.